Endoluminal stenting

Endoluminal stenting

An increasingly used alternative for patients with an obstruct - ing carcinoma is placement of an endoluminal stent, which can be done endoscopically , often with fluoroscopic guidance. This can be used either as a palliative procedure or to relieve obstruction and permit elective rather than emergency surgery to be undertaken. Only rectosigmoid and upper rectal tumours are suitable for stenting because stent impingement on the anorectum in low cancers causes symptoms of tenesmus (see Chapter 77 ).